“Moths are depicted as a symbol of the soul’s eternal quest for truth, and just as the moth is attracted to light, the soul is drawn to divine truth.”
Such a beautiful description of moths, as written in the Encyclopedia of Insects. Moths are depicted as mysterious insects that represent more than what they are; literature has painted moths as insects that deserve our respect because of what they symbolize.
However, for thousands of homeowners in Concord, this concept seems too far removed from reality. The truth is, they find moths simply as pests that they need to get rid of.
Concord residents are probably familiar with two types of moths: the pantry moths, and the clothes moths. These pests are such a nuisance that they damage items inside homes, depending on the type of moths they have. Clothes moths, as their name suggests, damaged clothes. Pantry moths damage dry stored foods. Whichever one you have in your house, your blood would surely boil due to their damaging effects on your belongings.
If you have the same problems as thousands of Concord residents, then this article is for you. The best of the Concord pest exterminators, Go-Forth Home Services, is here to discuss with you what moths are, their characteristics and behaviors, and some tips and tricks on how to control them.
Overview
Moths are from the order Lepidoptera. There are around 160,000 known species of moths which make them the largest family of this order. Moths have been around since prehistoric times, as evidenced by data that was collected from the moth fossils that were found by scientists. In the United States, there are 11,000 species of moths; most of them are nocturnal.
Moths have mouthparts that are called a proboscis, which curl up when not in use. The proboscis’ main function is to suck nectar.
They have wings and a pair of antennae attached to their heads. Unlike butterfly wings, moth wings have scales; moths are the only insects that have scales on their wings. They have feathery and threadlike antennae, which is again different from those of butterflies’ antennae. Butterflies have club-tipped antennae. As mentioned above, moths are known to be attracted to light.
Moths go through a full metamorphosis: the egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. After an adult female moth lays her eggs, they will hatch and then enter into the larva stage. This is also known as the caterpillar stage. As larvae, they start to feed. The area the adult moths lay their eggs depend on what type of moth you have at home. If you have pantry moths, the larvae are in the pantry, feeding on your stored dry foods. Clothes moths will be in your closet destroying your clothes. This is because moths lay their eggs near places where the larvae can feed. After the larva stage is the pupa, and then finally the adult stage.
Not all moths have mouths. There are some species that do not have mouths. Because of this, they only get to live just a few days as adults because they cannot feed. Mating is the only reason they exist, dying after doing so. They live off the stored energy they got as caterpillars. One example of this type of moth is the luna moths. Moths are the cousins of the more appreciated butterflies.
Their Enemies
Moths are invertebrates that produce around 100 to 10,000 ova, though only a small percentage of these would survive. The majority of them die due to many factors that come into play at every stage of the moths’ lives.
There are biotic factors or factors that are defined as “the influence upon the environment of organisms owing to the presence and activities of other organisms, as distinct from physical, abiotic, environmental factors”, as per ScienceDirect. These factors include predators, pathogens, and parasites.
Population numbers of pests like moths that are found in many communities and in the forests normally controlled by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. As for their predators, there are spiders, mites, skunks, ants, wasps, and stink bombs. Birds, reptiles, mammals, and amphibians are the vertebrate versions of moths’ enemies.
Moths As Pests
Even though moths do not transmit diseases, as some other pests do, they are very destructive as they eat many different items inside homes. It depends on the type of moth you have. The larvae stage is actually the most destructive. If what you have in your house is a pantry moth, its larvae will feed on food that surrounds them. If it is a clothes moth, they will eat your clothes. Feeding is their way to acquire nutrients that they would need until they become adults.
How Do Moths Get In Your House?
You might be asking, how do moths get in your home? Well, there are two possible ways that they get inside your house: one is they simply fly in, the other is you brought them in without you knowing it.
Pantry moths, also known as Indian meal moths or meal moths, fly in at night when the lights are on. Moths are attracted to light, and these lights draw them in. Once they get in, they will go straight to the pantry to hunt for dry stored foods.
With clothes moths, however, the situation is different. Clothes moths do not like light and would rather hide in darkness. Most likely, they would fly into your house at night with the lights off.
They can also be brought inside the house through the stuff you bring in. Old clothes that you bring in that carry eggs or larvae bring clothes moths in. Pantry moths are brought in through dry stored foods that are infested with their eggs or larvae.
Fear Of Moths
Some people have a fear of moths. Mattophobia is the irrational and almost debilitating fear of moths. It is a special animal phobia that triggers anxiety and panic attacks on the person who has it. Moths are generally peaceful and gentle, save for a few groups that are nuisance pests. Still, for the individual with mattophobia, moths look like monsters. They are afraid to go outside their houses because they fear that moths might be outside waiting to pounce on them.
Mattophobia in people may have been triggered by an event that had happened during childhood. The person might have been attacked by a moth or frightened by it as a child, and this thought carried over to adulthood.
Psychologists say mattophobia, like any other phobias, can be overcome. Exposure to moths under a controlled environment in order to desensitize the person can help solve this issue.
Moth Control
- Install a screen on your windows, doors, and vents. This will ensure that moths and other insects would not be able to fly in your house.
- Remove your clothes from the cabinet, then wipe your cabinet’s surfaces using a soaked cloth. Soak it in soapy water in order to kill the larvae.
- Seal cracks and crevices that are large enough for moths to get through.
- Freezing your clothes also helps kill the larvae. Put all your clothes in a plastic bag before you freeze them. Clothes that have been left unused for quite some time should be washed and dried every once in a while.
- Use pheromone-laced cardboard traps. It is advisable to use this in combination with other methods.
- Using mothballs can repel clothes moths.
- Store your food in sealed containers that moths cannot breach.
- Throw out infested food.
If you already have moth infestation problems, do not worry. All you have to do is to pick up the phone and call the best pest control company in the Concord, NC region: Go-Forth Home Services.
Go-Forth Home Services Gives You The Best Services
If you are a victim of pests in your own home, the only recourse is to get rid of them. DIY’s may not be as effective anymore so it might be time to bring in the experts.
At Go-Forth Home Services, we have devised many ways to exterminate pests. We have more than 60 years of experience tucked under our belt, and we have seen all kinds of pests come and go. This makes us your best protection not only against pantry and clothes moths, but also against mosquitoes, roaches, rats, mice, bed bugs, fleas, poisonous spiders, and many others.
We have highly-skilled and well-trained technicians with licenses to do the job for you. We will work with you to come up with the best course of action to take.